Metal Gear Series/Roy Campbell

Colonel Roy Campbell is Solid Snake's commanding officer throughout the majority of the Metal Gear series. He serves primarily to deliver exposition or game objectives to the player.

Campbell is introduced in the second Metal Gear game, Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake. (In the MSX2 version, his named is romanized Roy Kyanbel; "Roy Campbell" is the romanization in Metal Gear Solid and all subsequent games.) Like many of the characters in that game, his appearance and characteristics were initially based on that of another fictional character: in this case, Richard Crenna's character, Colonel Sam Trautman of the Rambo films. In fact, Campbell's original character design in the MSX2 version of the game was modeled after Crenna's likeness. (his appearance was changed for the Mobile Phone and PlayStation 2 versions of Metal Gear 2, however.) His relationship with Snake (particularly in the recent games) parallels that of Rambo and Trautman, as Campbell is not only Snake's former superior, but one of his few friends as well.

Solid Snake
Prior to the events of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake and prior to joining FOXHOUND, Campbell served several military units, including the Green Berets, the United States Marine Corps and Delta Force. When he first joined FOXHOUND, he served as the unit's executive officer under the codename of "Chicken Fox" (his skills as a saboteur were only average at best, but he exceeded as a strategist). When Big Boss turned traitor, Campbell took over the unit as commanding officer, discarding the codename system and adopting the use of high-tech equipment such as spy satellites and radars. During Operation Intrude F014 (the events of Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake) he serves as Solid Snake's commanding officer, and under his supervision, Snake defeats the forces of Zanzibar Land and retrieves the OILIX formula.

Metal Gear Solid
In Metal Gear Solid, Campbell, who had retired in the interim, is called back into service, to once again command Solid Snake. The still-active members of FOXHOUND, led by Liquid Snake, have taken over a nuclear disposal facility along with a number of hostages, including Campbell's niece, Meryl, who was assigned to the disposal facility on the day of the takeover. During the course of the mission, Campbell is forced to keep many of secrets from Snake, particularly the true purpose of his mission, and the fact that Snake has been injected with a virus tailored to kill the FOXHOUND team members. These secrets were at the demand of the Secretary of Defense, Jim Houseman, and, when Col. Campbell reveals the truth to Solid Snake, Campbell is briefly arrested. He is exonerated after Solid Snake defeats Liquid Snake, however.

In the alternate "Meryl dies" ending of Metal Gear Solid, it is revealed that Roy Campbell is the actual biological father of Meryl and not her uncle, as it was previously believed. This fact is further supported by Confidential Legacy, a non-canonical Snake Tales mission in Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance. In the history described in "Confidential Legacy," he has taken care of Meryl, since the death of his brother, Matt, during the Gulf War.

Sons of Liberty
In Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, a man who appears to be Col. Campbell serves as Raiden ' s commanding officer through the CODEC during the Big Shell mission. While he wears a nametag labeled "Campbell" and Raiden is led to believe that he is Colonel Campbell, he is only ever referred to as "the Colonel" or "Colonel."

When Emma's computer virus takes effect on Arsenal Gear, the Colonel begins acting erratically, revealing its true nature: "the Colonel" is not an actual person, but an elaborate A.I. constructed by GW and based on Raiden's perception of the real Col. Campbell.

As a result of Emma's virus, the Colonel's transmissions to Raiden when he infiltrates Arsenal Gear are for most part, quoted lines by Campbell and Big Boss from the previous Metal Gear games, including Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions and Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.

The Colonel, along with an A.I. version of Rose, reappears before the final battle with Solidus Snake. This version of The Colonel generated from JFK, another A.I. owned by The Patriots.

Portable Ops
According to Session #93 of the Hidechan Radio podcast, a young Roy Campbell will be featured in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. The young Campbell will be played by Toshio Furukawa, who played FOXHOUND member Allen Iishiba in the Metal Gear Solid Drama CD.

Guns of the Patriots
Colonel Campbell makes an appearance in the E3 2006 trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. He appears in the trailer visiting Solid Snake in a cemetery, who is standing saluting over an unknown grave. He picks up Snake in a helicopter. He then, with Otacon, briefs him on his next mission: to neutralize Liquid Ocelot and the new Outer Heaven. Although, Campbell has aged a bit since the last game, as noted by his greying hair and walking cane, he is still relatively younger-looking than Snake and is described to be "more vigorous than Snake" by Kojima. He is no longer in official duty, but is still referred by his former rank of Colonel.

Alternate storylines
Colonel Campbell appears in the non-canonical Metal Gear spinoff, Metal Gear: Ghost Babel. Like in Metal Gear Solid, he coerces Snake out of retirement under orders from Steve Gardner, the Director of Central Intelligence in order to infiltrate Galuade (the former Outer Heaven) and recover Metal Gear GANDER from the Gindra Liberation Force. It is revealed in the end that the reason for Campbell's retirement from FOXHOUND in 2000 was due to a top-secret ambush operation that was actually a trap for Black Chamber, who were killed for knowing classified info on Project Babel, leaving only five surviving members. Due to personal guilt, Campbell retired from his position as C.O. of FOXHOUND, but is blackmailed by Gardner to participate in the Galuade operation. It is also revealed (in the game's Special Stage Select mode) that Gardner is keeping surveillance of Meryl, an Army recruit in Ghost Babel continuity, but Campbell does not inform Snake of this.

Campbell also plays a central role in the Metal Gear Solid Drama CD series. He plays a supporting role in the first volume, serving as an observer for the U.N. Peacekeeping Force following the events of Shadow Moses. In the first story arc, he ask Snake to infiltrate the hostile nation of the Basra Republic when Meryl and her crew become trap in the hostile region, and in the second story arc, he asks Snake to accompany Mei Ling in order to procure evidence of chemical weapons production in Sanchago. However, Campbell plays a much more central in the second volume, where he is sent to the Republic of Esteria under orders from the White House in order to help his former FOXHOUND comrade, Mark Cortez, to train the Esterian Special Forces. However, Campbell goes missing after an ambush led by SVR agent Sergei Ivanovich and is tortured by him during imprisonment. It is revealed that Cortez is conspiring with Ivanovich against the Esterian and American governments. However, Cortez only intended to place Campbell under house arrest and did not planned to have Ivanovich torture him. Snake and Meryl, who were on a rescue mission to find Campbell, are betrayed by Cortez. They're eventually rescued Mei Ling and the Esterian Special Forces, but not before Ivanovich and Cortez are fatally wounded by fighting each other after Ivanovich's true intentions on producing biological weapons are revealed. After Cortez dies, Campbell decides to make funeral arrangement for Cortez.

In the game Metal Gear Acid, Roger makes a mention of Campbell as being an old friend he used to fight along side of during their service with the Green Berets.

Other appearances
In Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Campbell also has voice-only appearances where he derides the player during the main game if he kills someone important to the outcome of Snake's mission such as Ocelot or EVA, claiming that Snake has created a "time paradox". He also appears in the beginning the "Snake vs. Monkey" mini-game in MGS3, where he explains the minigame's objective to Snake. A common misconception (originated from the European Piggyback's Guide to MGS3) is that Campbell appears right next to DCI. However, this is incorrect and character is an unnamed DOD official based on Robert McNamara. The actual Campbell will appear in the upcoming MGS3 sequel, Portable Ops.

In Ape Escape 3 (where he is voiced by Michael McColl in the English version), he also plays a similar role in the Mesal Gear Solid: Snake Escape minigame. In both games, it is revealed he was friends with The Professor from Ape Escape during their high school years (although, this was mistranslated in Snake vs. Ape).